Blood of the Demon
by Lady C Andrews
Summary: Sequel to Emerald Quest...a small note is now attach at the end of Chapter 4. Will be resumed in due time.
1. Chapter I: Nightmares

**Declaimer**: I don't own Knuckles, Rouge, or any other **_SEGA®_** related characters. I do, however, own Tarosamo and whoever else you do not know!

**Warning**: Blood and sickness and Original Characters

**Pairing(s)**: Your basic male/female; Knux/Rouge, Sonic/Amy, etc.

**Genre**: Action/Adventure, Romance, Drama, maybe a bit of Angst too...

**Rating**: PG-13 for mild language and violence

**Author Note**: The long awaited sequel! Everyone loved the first one! Ya know ya did...**/wink/** I would also like to pre-apologize for any errors or lack of information and whatnot. My vocabulary is that of Vash the Stampede's (hehe), my grammar is horrid, and I don't know much. So, be warned! Other than that, I do hope you enjoy my story!

PS: Oh, and by the way...this takes on a darker turn than the first...just thought I'd let you know!

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_Blood of the Demon_-- By SWT

**Chapter I – Nightmares **

_Tarosamo found himself standing in an open field. A strange fog surrounded him, creating an eerie mist. All was quiet, not a sound was made. Tarosamo slowly made his way through the thickening fog in search of something. What? He didn't know. 'What's going on here?' But no one was there that could answer his unspoken question. The fog grew thicker and thicker with each step he took and soon he couldn't see much of anything. Suddenly, the wind started to pick up, blowing around him, whirling with the fog. The wind seemed to whisper to him._

'_Death is among you...'_

_Tarosamo stood there confused. What was that supposed to mean? He didn't know. The voice left an eerie feel as a chill shot down his spine._

'_You all will die...' It continued to whisper, lingering in the silent air._

_The echidna didn't understand the meaning of the words. They were going to die? He shook his head, deciding it to be a trick of the wind...but it sounds so valid..._

'_You will pay...a life for a life...' And then all was quiet, the wind died down and Tarosamo was left in his confusion. What was that supposed to mean? A life for a life?_

_Than all so suddenly, a piercing scream sounded and that was when he noticed the blood red sky. Tarosamo glanced around in horror as blood, much like the sky above, caked the solid ground. He had no idea what was going on, and fear struck him dead in his heart like icy daggers._

_Laughter sounded around him and he spun around and took a stunned step back. In front of him were the bodies of his friends, once alive and so full of life, now lifeless._

_Knuckles..._

_Rouge..._

_Sonic..._

_Amy..._

_Shadow..._

_Tails..._

_Cream..._

_All of them, dead, blood pooling out from their corpse forms. Tarosamo glanced up to see a dark figure looming over his formal friends. The figure was covered in darkness, its eyes were the only visible aspect of the being he could see, as it glow a terrifying yellow color, burning like a candle in the night. The eyes were that of someone who has seen countless of evil things in its lifetime._

_The echidna voice wouldn't come to him as he stared upon the creature who only smirked at him, a smirk of pure evil. It withdrew a claw that he noticed, just than, was in the back of the small fox-boy. The creature threw the boy hard to the ground and all Tarosamo could do was stare in horror as the once life filled boy plummeted to the ground with a dull thud._

_The creature lifted its bloodstained claw to its face as the red substance dripped to the equally bloodstained ground. It continued to smirk as it brought its hands to its mouth, a long red tongue flickering out, tasting the sweet blood, enjoying the horror that filled the echidna's eyes. _

_Suddenly, five bright colors shot up from around the creature and shoot towards the echidna with a blinding speed. Green...Red...Brown...Gold...and Black, all shot at him..._

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Sweat drenched him as he sat up, gasping for breath. He was still for a moment, only his rigid breathing was heard throughout the dark room. He shakily lifted a hand to his forehead and pushed away the sweat as a drop fell into his dazed eyes.

That dream seemed so horrifying real. He could still remember seeing the bodies of his friends lying lifelessly on the cold blood drenched ground. The creature standing over them, dripping in their blood, enjoying the pain that he was going through.

Tarosamo shook his head, trying to clear those horrid images from his pained mind. It was useless, every time he closed his eyes, he would see them. All of them, dead, and the evil creature's smirk. Even though he knew it was a dream, he couldn't shake the fear that conjured from it.

What could it mean? Could it possibly be a prediction of what's to come? A Premonition of some sort? Lord, he hoped not. He wouldn't know what to do if that was the case.

He slowly got up from his twin size bed and made his way blindly towards the kitchen for a glass of water, or something to get his mind off the dream. He passed a window that overlook a house not too far from his own; the home of Rouge and Knuckles.

He decided to live on Angel Island alongside Rouge and Knuckles to protect them as he was destined to do so. He made a vow to that of Knuckles' father to forever protect his son from any harm or danger as long as he was to live. And he plan on carrying out his order, no matter what.

He glanced out of the window, noticing that the lights in the other house were out, which meant that the residence were asleep, hopefully, peacefully. He shook the jumble of cobwebs from his mind and continued to make his way to the kitchen were he decided to prepare himself some coffee, since it seemed like he wouldn't be able to sleep anymore that night. He quickly took a glance at the digital clock on the microwave; 3:45 am. He had a good hour and a half before the sun would peek above the horizon and warm the world with its brilliant glow.

He got a kettle and poured the water from the faucet, not bothering to turn on the kitchen light since he really never needed the light to navigate around the house. He turned on the burner and watched as the blue flames danced around before placing the kettle of water overtop it. He took a seat at the small round table and sat in the dark, lost in his thoughts once more.

His mind traveled back towards the past, when he was nothing but a mere child. He could never remember his parents, wasn't sure if he had any to be honest. He was found wandering around his home planet, Echidnoplios, at the age of four, by an elder man who served the king and queen of that planet. That was some hundred years ago. He was than taught to serve the king and queen and any future heir, in this case, Prince Knuckles.

Just because he served the king didn't meant he led a peaceful life. Anything but.

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It was 9:15 am, and Sonic the Hedgehog walked down the sidewalk of Station Square, tossing a small velvet box up and down in his gloved hand. The blue hedgehog had been contemplating for weeks if he should ask Amy Rose to become his bride. He knew that he loved her, more than anything, in fact. But he wasn't sure if he was ready for that kind of commitment, being only nineteen-years-old. And he also knew, without any doubt, that Amy Rose would say yes.

He sighed, his eyes moving with the movement of the small box being tossed in his hand. Maybe he should ask her tonight? But what would he say? How would he say it? Why must this be so damn confusing?! He cursed silently at his own cowardliness.

Then, before he could blink, his velvet box was snatched from midair as it was being tossed. Sonic glanced around him and found a figure retreating into an alley, with the ring box.

"Hey! Get back here!" He yelled before dashing after the figure in black. Thankfully with his speed, he caught up with the thief before he could get too far. The figure was only slightly shorter than he and he grabbed him by the hood of his cloak.

The figure struggled to free itself as it was being held by the taller blue hedgehog, but said nothing.

Sonic growled in frustration and turned the figure around, allowing the hood to fall off of it to reveal a small kitten. Sonic gasped as he let the child go. What surprised him the most ware the child's black eyes...they were so...dead. Nothing like a child's eyes should be. "Hey...kid, you okay?" He asked hesitantly.

The kid only snorted and ran past the grown hedgehog. He didn't look any older than eight as he ran from Sonic. For a kid, he was pretty fast, but not faster than Sonic the Hedgehog as he ran after the child that had stole from him.

Once again he caught the kid, keeping a firm grip on him this time. "Got'cha! Now, could you hand over what's mine?"

The kitten narrowed his eyes in a way that didn't look right on an innocent young face such as his. Sonic held the child up by the scuff of his neck, making him look directly into his eyes. Sonic had a hard time focusing on the child's lifeless eyes. The way the kid looked at him was, in a way, eerie. Sonic had to control himself before releasing the child again.

"Where's my box?" That wasn't a question but a demand coming from the blue hedgehog as he held the child above the ground.

The kid made a move to kick Sonic in the stomach, but he caught on the movement and block the child's booted feet before it could do any damage. Glaring at him, the kid reached into his pocket and tossed the box into the air, away from the two and farther down the alley.

Sonic grunted and dropped the brat before dashing off after his possession before he lost it again. As he ran, he didn't notice the dark look the kid gave him or the evil glint in his lifeless eyes.

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Angel Island was, still is, one of the most beautiful islands in the entire world that floated in the sky. The grass was the greenest, the trees were the lushes, the fruit being the sweetest, and the plants were exquisite. That was one of the reasons why Rouge the Bat loved Angel Island. It was so beautiful to look at and nothing could ever compare to it.

Life has been the best ever since she and Knuckles gotten married and decided to settle down after that last fight with Sameo, not even two and a half years ago. She was content with her new life here with her husband of nearly four months, and life couldn't be more prefect.

Currently, she was resting on the soft green grass, dipped in the morning dew, but that didn't disturb her from the peaceful stance she was trance in. She enjoyed the cool wetness against her white fur and closed her blue eyes with a pleased sigh.

Then, suddenly, it was interrupted by a dark shoulder looming over her and her eyes snapped open and she smirked, seeing as it was only her husband.

Knuckles purple eyes watch her with amusement as he sat down on the dew covered grass with her. They said nothing, as they were only contented to be in each other presence, both enjoying the gentle breeze that swept by them.

Rouge placed both her arms behind her head as she stared up into the cloud filled sky, watching as the fluffy whites floated around above them, creating weird shapes of different forms. She always enjoyed watching the clouds in the sky, it was so comforting. She smiled softly as her eyes drifted shut for a short snapped.

Knuckles glanced at her and smirked when he noticed his wife drifting off into slumber. She was so cute, when she lay like that, without a care in the world. He was finally happy that now he could spend his life with the one woman he loved with all his heart. Nothing could ever come between them, and he would make sure of that.

He gingerly reached out a gloved knuckle to her soft fur covered face and smiled at the contact it made. He sighed, pleased to finally be able to live without the worries of being condemned to watch over the Master Emerald for the rest of his life, alone.

Yes, life was so prefect now, everything was just right with that demon lord out of their lives.

If only he knew how wrong he was.

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Tarosamo wasn't able to get a wink of sleep since he first awoken ten hours ago as it was now 1 o'clock in the afternoon. Every time he closed his tired eyes, the continuing images of his lifeless friends flashed in his mind eyes.

Once more sighing, he got up from where he sat on his couch and decided that he would take a walk to perhaps clear his mind, but for some reason, he knew that wasn't likely to happen.

Ignoring his deepening thoughts, he headed out of his small house and almost instantly, a rush of the cool spring air hit him. He loved the spring. Spring and fall were his favorite time of the year. He couldn't explain why, but it was. Rather it was the change in weather from spring to summer, autumn to winter, or if it was just the feel of the crisp night air. He didn't care exactly what the reason was; all he knew was that he loved spring and fall.

He stepped outside and closed his eyes, for once, not reliving the feel of his dream the night before. He took a quick look around of the part of the island that was visible to him and watched as the wind caress the leaves of the tress and played with the lush green grass.

He was currently dressed in his normal attire which consists of a pair of purplish-blue pants, an armor vest which was the same color and his scarf that covered half of his face which danced with the wind and his sword sheath on his back.

He started his walk, taking in all the beauty the island had to offer. It was really amazing to be living on this floating paradise, away from the city down below and closer to the stars at night. Nothing could ever compare to Angel Island, especially at night where the stars were the most visible.

He decided to take his travels into the semi-thick forest that surrounded the island. As he went deeper into the forest, the darker it had become, even though it was still daylight on the island. He love walking through the forest, and had done so every other day for the pass two years since he had taken residence on this lovely island. The forest was name Elysia Forest, which meant "Blissful Forest", and it truly was blissful.

He than spotted something he haven't notice before on his other journeys though this same forest. A dark cave sat in the middle of a cove, illuminating a darken feel to it. Tarosamo found himself drawing nearer to the mysterious cavern. Standing just outside the mouth of the luminous cave, he tilted his head to the side in a curious manner before taking a cautious step inside.

That was when the prefect world he once knew turned upside down once again.

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**/sighs/** Well, that do you think? Kinda took a slight turn from the first one, eh? So far, I've been up for 32 hours and I am nowhere near being tired! Heh, anyway, please, review and tell me what you think!

Arigatou!

Ja ne!

_**SapphireWhiteTigress**_


	2. Chapter II: Father

_Blood of the Demon_-- By SWT

**Chapter II – Father **

_A young girl, seemly to be three, found herself in a meadow of flowers. The most beautiful flowers she has ever sat her young blue eyes on. She turned to her mother who was resting under a tree and waved to the older bat. Her mother smiled that sweet motherly smile at her young child as she returned the gesture._

_The young bat giggled as she saw a stunning yellow butterfly fluttered passed her and made an attempt to catch it. She clasped her small hands around the butterfly and felt the thin silk-like wings brush against her young delicate fingers. She slowly opened her hands up and peeked inside in amazement at the beauty of one of nature creatures._

_The butterfly fluttered up and escaped from its young capturer into the clear blue sky. The child waved happily as the beautiful flying insect disappeared from sight. She turned again to her mother and smiled her sweet innocent smile._

_Suddenly the sky turned gray as dark clouds hovered over the land. The child glanced around in fright at the sudden change in the weather. She quickly turned around to her mother only to see the most horrid sight ever imaginable for the young child. Her eyes widen as she looked at her mother. Tears welled up in her once bright eyes as she stared._

_Her mother lay limped on the green grass, blood flowing from a wound in her abdomen, her eyes as dark as the darkening sky. Standing over the motionless bloodied body was a dark figure, grinning insanely as his cold ice blue eyes spotted the child. The figure was bat, she could tell, seeing his pointed ears on top of his head and the wings that poked from his back._

_The frighten child back up into a tree, eyes wide in fear, as the menacing figure advanced towards her. His grin grew even more wick as he took notice in the fright of the child's large innocent blue eyes. A sharp canine tooth poked out over his bottom lip, reminding her of a vampire._

_The bat sighed in exasperation, "Do you fear me, child?" He asked the most obvious question, which was said in an emotionlessly cold voice. Of course, he already knew the answer, he loved to toy around with his victims before he strikes._

_The child said nothing as fat tears rolled down her round face. She wanted her mother to take her away from the bad man. She wanted the comfort embrace of her mother she knew she wouldn't be able to see anymore. She wanted this guy to leave her around. She remained silent._

_The bat tilted his head slightly, giving him a more darker look. "To think; she kept me away from you...away from my own daughter." He laughed dryly, his eyes sparked something she couldn't bear to distinguish, "The whore, now look at her, lying in her own blood. Pathetic. I'll take you away with me, my princess." He grinned once again, reaching a hand to her, but she backed further away only to find that she couldn't. "Don't be afraid..." He said, not at all comforting._

_The girl turned her head away, "No...leave me alone!" She cried, squeezing her blue eyes shut. "Mommy..." She whimpered as the tears continued to fall._

_The man laughed again, in mild amusement, "Sorry, sweetheart, but 'mommy's gone." There was no remorse as he spoke this to her. Once again he reached a hand out to her, touching her small face._

_The girl flinched at his touch, wishing to could melt herself into the tree, just to get away from this...monster._

"_Monster, am I?" There was that laugh again. And she hated it. She wished he would just go away and never come back._

_She shook with fear as the hand touched her tearstain cheek._

_Rouge..._

_He smirked as he ran a hand down her face._

_Rouge...?_

_He enjoyed the way she squirmed at the feel of his deathly cold hands._

_Rouge!_

_--------------_

Rouge the Bat eyes shot open and she sat up, her heart beating rapidly in her chest. Tears sprung into her eyes as she felt the pain in her heart. Everything was in a blur around her. Her thoughts, her surroundings, where was she? She heard a distant voice to her left and shakily turned to it to see a familiar face.

"Knu-Knuckles?" She asked, her voice betraying the fretfulness she was feeling.

Knuckles sighed in relief. "Are you okay? You were...crying out in your sleep." He explained, worriment still evident in his voice.

Rouge was on the verge of a mental breakdown, but she couldn't cry in front of Knuckles, her husband, though she doubted he'd say anything other than comforting words. Even though they've been through so much together, she couldn't display that kind of weakness in front of him, but the feeling she was feeling was too great, it hurt. Why was this all coming back now? Why had she had that dream...? That memory? She shuddered at the remembrance of it, she hated her father, hated the things he put her through, what he did to her sister, his wife, and her mother...anger boiled inside of her at the slightest thought of that..._monster_.

"-ouge? Rouge?" She snapped from her thoughts at the sound of her husband's concern voice and turned her dull blue eyes on his figure. "Rouge? Are you alright? What's wrong?"

Rouge ran a shaky hand through her fur which served as hair. "Uh, yeah...it was...just a dream..."

Knuckles looked doubtful. "A...dream? Of what?"

The bat turned away. "I, uh, rather not talk about it, Knuckles." She said firmly, or as firmly as she could, considering the state she was in.

Knuckles sighed, slightly agitated. "Rouge..."

Rouge abruptly stood up from her sitting position on the dew covered grass. "I'm going back to the house..." And with that said, she left in the direction of their home.

The red echidna stayed where he sat, watching her retreating form. "Was it something I said...?"

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"Hello echidna..." The voice was colder than ice and held a sinister airy feel to it. The echidna in question took a surprise step back at the feel of the spoken words. He could barely make out the form that took shape inside of the ominous cavern. It was as if he could see right through it.

Keeping his cool and a straight face, he narrowed his eyes. "Who are you?"

The figured laughed. "Who am I? Why, I am the very essence of your existence, Echidna. Do you not remember me?" He said in mockery, a grin forming on his dark transparent face.

Tarosamo raised an eyebrow. "No, I'm afraid I have no clue on who you are, so I must repeat; who are you?" He was beginning to get irritated with this stranger.

A cold laugh was his answer as the figured took on more of a solid form and, within the darkness, having very good night vision, Tarosamo could just about make out the figure to be a...monstrosity. His skin, he could tell, was a brownish-yellow color and his two eyes were the color of blood and slanted, almost like those of a feline. He also had two large, sharp horns poking out of his head, between his large pointed ears. He stood, at least, a good five to six feet tall. Two large wings sprouted from his back, stretching out around him, in a terrifying gesture. He was dressed in a robe, the same color as his eyes, attached with a long, flowing cape.

Tarosamo wouldn't allow his form to intimidate him, though he couldn't stop the rushing feel of...what was that feeling? Fear? Despair? Apprehensiveness? Knowing? He couldn't tell.

"Does this...jolt your memory, echidna?" The being smirked as recognition shot through the echidna's eyes.

Tarosamo stared in shock as memories flooded back to him. He remembered now...he was...three...a year before taking up the role of apprentice to serve the king...it was so long ago. It was a horrible experience, he ran into this...monster of a being. The same as the one that stood in front of him. The one that changed his life. He forced himself not to remember anymore as he narrowed his angry eyes on the being.

The creature smirked. "Ah, I see you remember, echidna. I also see that you found...the Prince. What a coincidence, killing two birds with one stone, eh? You saved me trouble, echidna, from having to search for the Prince. Truly, I am grateful." He smirked, showing off his sharp teeth that seemed to sparkle in the darkness of the cave.

Tarosamo quickly got defensive. "You will not get to Prince Knuckles without getting through me first!" He shouted, furious with this new character.

The figured laughed, throwing his head back as he did so. "Is that so? I don't have time for foolish games! We'll meet again, echidna, I promise you that." And with that, he disappeared, leaving Tarosamo alone, simmering.

Tarosamo took a deep breath to calm his nerves. "I have to warn Knuckles about his arrival." He took one last look around the eerie cave before taking off in the direction of Knuckles home

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Rouge lied restlessly on the orange couch, not daring to close her eyes after the dream she had only moments before. She sighed in annoyance, flicking on the television with the small remote she held in her dainty hands. She didn't like keeping everything from Knuckles, but she also didn't want to talk about the worst of her past with him. Sure, she did tell him a little about her past, leaving out her so-called father, of course. That _man_ didn't deserve the title of father.

Once again, she was brought from her thoughts as the front door opened and in walked Knuckles, looking slightly dejected. Rouge sat up straight as he came into the room and she sighed. "Knuckles, I'm sorry about the way I acted..."

Knuckles flashed Rouge a halfhearted smile before shaking is head. "It's okay...but, I just want to know what's wrong..."

Rouge sighed. "Knuckles, I really don't want to talk about it." She turned away from him so all he could see was the back of her head.

The red echidna growled in annoyance. "Rouge, stop being so damn selfish! I only want to help. It's obvious whatever happened in your dream shook you up!"

Rouge slightly turned to him, glaring with her blue eyes. "It's about my father, okay?!"

Knuckles blinked in surprise. She has never mentioned anything about her father before. He was sure that the only family the bat had been her sister, and before the defeat of Sameo, he didn't even know she had _any_ family. "What about your father...?"

Rouge fought back the coming of tears at the thought of that...creature...that helped bring her into this world. She took a deep breath, and decided that she could tell Knuckles anything. "I...well, it's--" Before she can even start, a loud knock was heard on the front door.

Knuckles sighed in exasperation as he opened the door to see a slightly panting Tarosamo. "What do you want?" He asked, aggravated with the other echidna's sudden appearance.

Tarosamo stared Knuckles directly in the eyes/ "I'm sorry to have disturbed you, Knuckles, but I'm afraid that we are up against a new threat."

Rouge eyes slightly widen. "What?! How can you be so sure, Taro?"

Tarosamo sighed, rubbing his temples. "You could say...that I just had an encounter with a figure of the past."

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**/sighs/** Oh me, oh my, I try and I try, looks like someone's gonna die! Hehe, so, what do you all think of this second chapter of..._dun, dun, dun_ **BLOOD OF THE DEMON**! Maybe I should rename it...oh well...haven't I improve my righting skills?! **/large grin/ **Anyhow, Please, review...?

Oh, yeah...are Rouge's eyes blue or green or both? O.o

Stay tune for the next chapter of this...story...Ja ne!

LOVE AND PEACE! /

_**SapphireWhiteTigress**_


	3. Chapter III: Beautiful

**Declaimer**: I still don't own **Sonic Adventure 2©**, and any other Sonic related product, they belong to their respectful owners.

_Storyline, plot, **Tarosamo the Echidna©, Slice the Bat©, Danny©, Black Light©, **and **Kamakani Zuberi©**__are mine. You cannot use any of these characters without my permission._

**Author Notes**: Not much to say, except thanks to all who reviewed. I love you all! Cookies for everyone! **/hands out cookies/ **and they're shaped like dancing hedgehogs! Anyway, here's chapter three…enjoy.

_

* * *

Blood of the Demon - By SWT_

**Chapter III - Beautiful **

* * *

"So, let me get this straight…you're saying that there's an evil being, who was once in liege with Sameo and was also sealed away, is **_now_** out and about?" Knuckles asked for what seemed like the hundredth time that hour. 

Tarosamo sighed and nodded, rubbing his head. "Yes, Knuckles."

Knuckles fell on the couch in exasperation. "What does he want with us?"

"I honestly don't know," that got a growled from the red echidna.

Rouge rolled her eyes. "Calm down, knucklehead," she then turned to Tarosamo. "What else can you tell us about him, Taro?"

Tarosamo stood up and made his way to the window to look out. After about a minute of silence, he spoke, not taking his eyes away from the vast forest that was a few yards from the house. "His name is Kamakani Zuberi. All I know is that he has inhumane powers. I first met him when I was a kid, a long time ago." Tarosamo blinked when he saw a shadow moved around in the forest. He looked again and nothing was there.

"Which brings us back to my original question; what does he want with us?" Knuckles asked, getting annoyed as it was. He crossed his arms and tilted his head back so his eyes were locked on a spot on the ceiling.

Rouge glared at him. "Knuckles! He said he didn't know!"

Knuckles growled at her but remained silent and kept his eyes fixed on the same spot. Tarosamo stared into the outer world, deep in thought. In fact, he was so deep in thought, he lacked to realize the single figure swooping down. He closed his blue eyes and pressed his head against the cool glass window.

The dark figure moved closer until a shadow loomed over the unaware echidna. A toothy smirked broke out on the figure's hidden face as it brought one finger to the side of the window and tap, causing the echidna to nearly jump out of his skin. His eyes snapped wide open, to only stare in the blue eyes of a familiar female bat.

Tarosamo clenched his heart as it was threatening to burst from his ribcage and he glared at the laughing figure.

Rouge looked up. "Slice! What are you doing here?" she asked once she took notice of the gasping Tarosamo and the bat on the other side of the window. She went to the door and opened it, bringing her sister in a tight hug.

Slice and Rouge had gotten along great the pass few years, almost like a real family now. Rouge and Slice stepped back from each other, grinning. "Can't I just come and see my baby sister?"

Rouge thought for a moment. "No, not without wanting something."

Slice laughed. "Well, it's great to see you too, sis." she walked right pass Rouge and into the house. She gave a small nod in the direction of Knuckles and smiled sheepishly at Tarosamo.

Rouge peeked around the side of the door. "So, where's my favorite nephew?" she asked, seeing that Slice was alone. She turned to her sister, shutting the door.

Slice flopped down next to Knuckles, earning a slight growl of irritation from her brother-in-law, before glancing up at her younger sibling. "He's home, asleep right now. I swear, that child is a real headache." Rouge shook her head, grinning as she took a seat next to her sister. Slice gave a curious look to the two males, noting their forlorn expression. "So…why look so solemn, boys? What's up?"

Tarosamo frowned. "I fear we have some trouble heading our way."

_**

* * *

Station Square  
**__**6:30 PM**_

Sonic nervously paced outside the apartment, rehearsing what he was going to say to Amy Rose tonight. He was nervous, no doubt about that, but was he ready for such a commitment? He loved her and would die for her given the chance. He wanted to spend the rest of eternity with her, if they could live that long. He would do just about anything for the pink hedgehog, even though she can be annoying once in a while and clingy. But he love her, nonetheless.

He took a deep breath, gathering all the strength he could muster as he stood up straight, straightening out the blue tux he was given to wear for this special occasion. Quickly feeling his pocket to make sure the ring was tucked away self and soundly, he knocked on the door to the apartment. It took a few moments before the person he was waiting for answer.

As the door open, his breath caught in his throat. When the door finally opened fully, what he saw was not what he expected, but more so. There stood Amy Rose, the precious pink hedgehog, dressed fully for the occasion. She was wearing a beautiful elegant sparkling red gown that cling to her body, showing off every curve her body had. Two long slips ran up to mid-thigh, showing off her long pink legs. To complete it, she had a lovely necklace on and ruby stub earring in each ear.

Amy Rose had really grown within the years he had known her. She grew from an annoying little fan girl who followed him around and he wouldn't even give her the time of day to a full blown beautiful woman. So much has changed since than, their relationship being a prime example.

Amy smiled sweetly at her boyfriend's gawking expression. "Sonic!" She gave him a hug. She soon released him and noticed the look on his face. "Sonic? Are you okay?"

Sonic snapped from his dazed and smile at her. "Yeah, I'm fine. You're beautiful."

Amy blushed. "Do you really think so, Sonic?"

Sonic grinned and winked, offering his arm to her. "I know so, Ames! Lets go, I already made the reservations."

"Where are we going, Sonic?" She asked as they made their way down the stairs into the front lobby and out the door.

Sonic smirked as he stopped in front of a limousine. "It's a surprise." He than opened the door to the limo, gesturing for her to enter.

Amy stared in shock. "Sonic! Is this a limousine? But…how could you afford it?"

Sonic shook his head. "Don't worry about it Ames. Get in before we be late."

The pink hedgehog got into the limo, her excitement bubbling inside. She could almost feel that something good was going to happen today.

Sonic made his way to the other side of the limo and hopped in with a grin of his blue face. "Driver, you know where to go!"

Twenty minutes later, the limo pulled up in front of a shining five-star restaurant, Maisonette. The limo driver stepped out of the vehicle and quickly walked to the other side to allow the two hedgehogs to exit.

Sonic was the first to get out as he offered Amy and hand. Once she was out of the limo, her eyes sparkled at the sight of the large restaurant before her. "Wow, Sonic! Is this your surprise?"

Sonic nodded sheepishly as the two walked up to the main entrance where they were greeted by the doorman. The doorman smiled to the two as he opened the door. Sonic and Amy walked into the restaurant, arms linked, and gasped.

* * *

Someplace, far out into the Milky Way, a dark figure lurked about; plotting to destroy those he sealed him away those years ago. He wasn't about to fail this time. He has help. Good, decent help, and right now, that help was out there taking out those annoying creatures. 

Knuckles didn't stand a chance.

Sameo grinned.

* * *

I apology with my life's worth! I'm sorry that it took me FOREVER, literally, to get this out, and when I do, it's short! SORRY! SORRY! SORRY! bows, bows, bows Well, at least its here, right? Don't worry; I'll try to get the next chapter out soon, since I seem to have gotten my muse back! (Happy days!) Review, much love! 

_**-SapphireWhiteTigress**_


	4. Chapter IV: Alone

**Declaimer**: I still don't own **Sonic Adventure 2©** or any other Sonic related characters and logos, they belong to their respected owners.

_Storyline, plot, **Tarosamo the Echidna©, Slice the Bat©, Danny©, Black Light©, **and **Kamakani Zuberi©**__are mine. You cannot use any of these characters without my permission, not that you would want to use them, anyway._

**Author's Note**: I would like to give a sincere apology to everyone who's been waiting for this. Life's been taking its tow on me…anyways, enough excuses, it's out now, so, please enjoy!

_**----**_

_**Blood of the Demon**_

_**By SapphireWhiteTigress**_

_**----**_

**Chapter IV – Darkness**

**Two weeks later** was when things started to really get bad. Knuckles and Tarosamo have been on constant alert throughout day and night but got no sign of any potential threat. It was peaceful and quiet when it started to happen. Clear skies and calm winds, those thoughts were deceiving.

Knuckles decided to rest for a little while and ended up under the cool shade of a tall tree when something fell out and hit him on the head. He jumped and was ready to fight, but what he saw made him stop cold. Instead of something threatening, he saw something even more frightening. He saw the body of a cold, stiff, and very dead animal.

A squirrel.

Knuckles eyes widen as he noticed that the once earthly green grass started to turn a horrifying gray color. All around him the flowers were withering, the grass was browning, the small forest animals dropped to the ground in a lifeless heap.

He looked all around him as the abnormity occurred.

"What the hell's going on here?" A voice said behind him.

Knuckles turned around to see Rouge and Tarosamo making their way towards him. Knuckles clenched his fist, anger boiling in his eyes. Once the two were standing next to the red echidna, Knuckles gave an angry growl.

"I don't know who's responsible for this happening, but when I find him…" He trailed off, too angry for words.

Tarosamo stood in silence, a thoughtful expression on his face. "I may know who's responsible for this."

Knuckles glaring eyes bored into Tarosamo's. "Who!"

The other echidna didn't even flinch. "Kamakani. His powers can also drain the earth of its energy. All he needs to do is focus his powers on an object with low spiritual power and death can befall it."

Both of his comrades looked at him. "Why didn't you tell us that earlier?" Knuckles roared.

Tarosamo looked sheepish, but only for a moment. "You never asked."

Knuckles sighed in exasperation. Rouge chose that moment to point something out that was in the sky. "Wait, I think I see something," she said and spread her wings to get a closer look.

Before Knuckles could stop her, she was already high in the air. "Rouge!"

Rouge cautiously approached the figure, keeping her distance. "Hey! You there, are you the one responsible for this?"

The figure was clothed in a black cloak, making it very hard to see him as dark clouds started to form around them. His head was tilted downwards. At first, Rouge thought he hadn't heard her and was going to make him feel her wrath, when his head suddenly snapped up and Rouge was staring into large, red, emotionless eyes.

Her breath caught in her throat and she felt as if someone had placed their hands around her small neck, forcing the air from her lungs.

Rouge grabbed around her throat, trying to force the air back into her aching lungs. She started to feel dizzy and faint, until she slowly lost consciousness and went limp in the air. With a flick of his wrist, Rouge's body went flying through the air and towards the cold, dead, earth below.

Knuckles eyes widen in terror as he watched Rouge's body fall from the sky. He tried to run to catch her, but his feet seem to be rooted into the ground. He growled in frustration and looked down at his unmoving feet, and realized that his feet were, indeed, rooted to the ground.

He grinded his teeth and tried to pull his feet from the ground, but there was no such luck. He watched helplessly as Rouge fell from the sky towards the dead earth around them.

Tarosamo, seemingly unfazed, quickly ran towards the falling bat and caught her before she could hit the ground. She remained lifeless in his arms.

"Rouge?" He gently lied her down on the ground and checked for a pulse. He breathed a sigh of relief when he found one. He looked up towards the figure only to find him directly above he's current position.

A silent, chilling wind blew through the air, rustling the dead trees and grass. The dark figure smirked at the echidna. "Tarosamo," It was one word, one name, which held so much meaning for the intruder.

Tarosamo shuddered at hearing his name come from the mouth of that emotionless beast. He knew that this day was going to come, but he didn't expect it to be so soon. He hadn't a clue on what to do. The brave and never failing Tarosamo was at a lost.

"I see that you remember me. How could you forget? I'm the one that raised you," Kamakani Zuberi chuckled.

Knuckles watched the exchanged in silence, being that there was nothing he could do with his feet rooted to the ground as they were. He wanted to rush over to his wife to make sure she was okay. He growled in frustration. He just knew meeting Tarosamo was going to post a few questionable problems.

"So, Tarosamo, are you ready to cooperate and come home?" Kamakani extended a hand towards Tarosamo as it emitted a low red glow. He slowly descended down to the ground, his hand stayed pointedly at the Echidna. "I don't believe that I leave any room for discussion, because if you do not follow my orders…" He moved his hand, the red glow growing in size, towards the unconscious bat. "…You know what will happen, don't you Tarosamo?"

Tarosamo didn't want to admit it to himself, but he knew that this beast in front of him wasn't the type to play games. If he wanted something, he'll get it at all costs, even if that cost was the cost of another's life. Tarosamo wasn't going to stand there and let Rouge, or Knuckles for that matter, fall prey to the demon that stood before him.

Tarosamo gave a sigh of resignation before standing to his full height and surrendering. "As you wish,"

An unearthly large grin spread itself across the ugly face of the monster. "Great, I knew you'll see it my way, Tarosamo." Kamakani lowered the threat of his hand.

Knuckles eyes widen in disbelief. Tarosamo just gave up without a fight and willingly turned himself over to that bastard! "Tarosamo, what do you think you're doing! Once my feet get free, you better run, lizard, I'll rip you from head to toe!"

Kamakani laughed a thunderous laugh at the pathetic attempts to free himself. "You're very amusing, Knuckles. Don't worry. I'll come back for you." He grinned, wave his right claw, and both Tarosamo and the demon were gone.

Instantly, the sky cleared up and the grass and trees regain their glorious lush green color. Knuckles feet were finally free and he fell into a heap on the ground. His breath came out in short gasps.

Once he regained some composure, he immediately ran to his wife's fallen side. "Rouge? Rouge, get up!" He gently shook her but she remained still. "Rouge…?" Knuckles felt a burning sensation in his eyes and everything was blurring. He angrily wiped at his eyes. It's been forever since the last time he shed a tear, and now…He gently picked up the limp form of his wife. He knew she wasn't dead, not yet, but it still hurt all the same. Why wouldn't she wake up?

He took her back to their small home and placed her softly on their bed. "Rouge…" He gently spoke her name. He needed to get her to a hospital and fast. He sighed. He knew he should've listened to Sonic and gotten that phone installed…

He looked around for some idea of what to do. He couldn't risk taking her with him, just in case her condition worsens and he sure as hell couldn't leave her here all by herself. Where was Sonic when he needed him?

He looked to the overgrown gem, which was the Master Emerald, and remembered the adventures he recently had because of that thing. Sometimes he wasn't sure if it was a curse or a blessing. A blessing mainly because if it wasn't for that valuable rock, he would've never met all the friends he has today.

But, all in all, it has caused him a lot of trouble in the past and sometimes he often wished he was never 'chosen' to protect such a thing. Now, once more, the life of the woman he loved was at risk. He didn't blame the Master Emerald for this one, because it seemed that the emerald, for once, did not take part in this…event.

He slowly stood up from kneeing in front of the bed where his wife now rested. She had no visible signs of any injuries and for once, she looked to be at peace. He was afraid now. Every afraid. He ran a glove hand over her cheek in hope that it might coaxed her to wake. No such luck. He took a deep breath, and whispered in a voice that was so small that you would have to be standing directly under him to hear it. "Hold on, Rouge…I'll do whatever I can to save you…" With that said, he gave the fallen bat one last glance before quickly dashing out of the room, in hopes to find some help.

_**----**_

She was alone and cold. And…the pain…it hurt all over. It hurt to breathe, it hurt to move, and it even hurt to think. Where was she? She would've glanced around, but her eyes wouldn't open. No matter how hard she tried, she couldn't will her eyes to open. And she couldn't move. Her limbs were paralyzed. She wanted to cry out, either from pain or frustration, she wasn't too sure.

Just than, an extremely soft voice reached her ears. _'Hold on, Rouge…I'll do whatever I can to save you…'_

That voice…

It was unmistakably Knuckles!

Knuckles…

Than memories started to flood back into her mind. She remembered having the breath forced from her lungs as she slowly lost consciousness. Her last thought before she passed out was…

Knuckles…

'_Knuckles…I'm…I'm sorry…'_ She wasn't sure why she was apologizing, but she felt as if she needed to do so. She prayed that he could feel it with his heart. Maybe she was sorry that she couldn't be there for him, or maybe she was sorry for all the hardships she gave the echidna, but whatever the reason, she knew she just had to tell him, with her heart, that she was sorry.

Suddenly, a chill wind swept passed her and she shivered. Finally, she was able to open her eyes, but what greeted her wasn't what she expected. She wasn't on Angel Island anymore, but standing on an ocean. She blinked her tired eyes. How was it possible that she would be standing on an ocean and not fall in?

She took in her surroundings and the only thing that she could see was blue skies and an even bluer ocean. She was confused. "Where…am I?" Her voice echoed around her as if she were in a cave. This further confused her.

The wind carried on, strongly blowing in one direction. It pushed her; nudge her, as if to follow. Having no other choice, she started in the direction of the wind. For miles, she couldn't see anything but the crystal blue ocean. She felt silly, really, walking on top of an ocean that seemed to be made of glass, but yet, it was wavering with the calm breeze. No water splashed her and she wasn't sure to be grateful or even more freaked out.

She wanted to fly and give her feet a rest, but she soon found out that flying was a bad idea, because for some unknown reason, her wings would burst with pain at the slightest twitch. She would only sigh and continued her long journey into the unknown.

_**----**_

_**A Sad Note from SapphireWhiteTigress **_

To all who actually liked this fic:

I hate to say this but…I'm discontinuing **_Blood of the Demon_**. It's not because of you, the readers, since you all been very nice to me, but mainly because I can't get into the 'groove' of things anymore.

I enjoyed writing the fic for the most part, but I lack ideas on it…I don't even think it's possible to 'switch the story over' to anyone, because…nobody knows Tarosamo as I do. huggles him And I hate out-of-character characters, even if they **_are_** fan-characters…

Anyways, to sum it all up, I'm quitting with the "**_Emerald Quest_**" trilogy (it was gonna be a trilogy), which turned out to be just **_Emerald Quest_** and a half. Sad, I know…**_sighs_**


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